Three reasons to choose loose leaf tea

Do you prefer loose leaf tea or tea bags? At Les Jardins de Gaïa, we have always preferred loose tea, bringing you whole leaves capable of delivering the optimum flavour. There are many reasons to adopt this method of consumption – leaf tea is suitable for any occasion, ecological and respects the subtlety of each tea… At a time when we are aiming for Zero Waste and with the growing importance of wholesome products, read on to discover why you should choose leaf tea and how to prepare it in next to no time!

The real taste of tea

It ought to be obvious but the complexity and aromas of rare and high-end teas can be better appreciated when you use the whole leaves. It is the same with more classic perfumed or flavoured teas, whether they be black, green, white or wu long.

What’s more, there is a classification of grades for black teas, in which we find whole leaf and bud teas at the top of the scale, with the “dusts” at the very bottom, composed of fine dust from broken leaves, mainly used for sachets or teabags.

Keeping the leaves whole permits a slow infusion which lets the aromas flourish in a subtle manner. In the case of a conventional teabag, the broken leaves and dust release all of their aromas very quickly, often releasing more bitterness or astringency.

Easy to use, loose leaf tea is suitable for any occasion

Loose tea makes it easy to adjust the amount of tea to the volume of water being used – whether it’s a cup, a mug, a pot for one or a large teapot for the whole family. Using an integrated teapot filter, a floating filter, one made of paper or a simple strainer, bear in mind the necessary quantity and adapt!

Suggested quantity of tea:

In a classic teapot, we generally recommend using 2g of tea for 1/4 litre of water. For most teas, 2g equates to 1 tsp. but for some teas with larger and lighter leaves, such as white teas, 2g will be more like 2 tsp. Adjust the quantity accordingly!

Our tip: Preparing tea is not an exact science! Depending on your mood, slight variations in the amount of tea and the infusion time a little will allow you to find the best way to bring out the flavours!

At a time of zero waste: economical and green

The packaging in bags of 50g, 60g and 100g is obviously much more ecological than in individual teabags.

The best: a teapot with an integrated filter, into which tea leaves are directly placed.

The alternative: Our paper filters* can be used as do-it-yourself teabags and are infinitely variable!

Put whichever tea takes your fancy in a filter, pour on hot water, let it brew, remove and enjoy!

Did you know ? A good quality loose tea can be infused several times during the day and will develop new aromas as you go along…

• made of natural vegetable fibres, unbleached, compostable

Cover Picture @Bartosch Salmanski